Weathertight sliding car door



March 4, 1952 G. MADLAND WEATHERTIGHT SLIDING CAR DOOR Filed Sept. 5, 1947 -//VVE'{V TOE- 6955/5 L MQDL 6ND Patented Mar. 4, 1952 Gabriel Madland, cli-ic aa go, 11]., assignor to The Youngstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September '3, 1947, Serial No. 771,978

This invention relates to car door construction and more particularly to a construction for the rear margin of sliding car doors which will render such margin weathertight. .i

It is an object of this invention to provide -'a construction for the rear margin of sliding car doors which will embody a forwardly facing pocket adapted to trap dust, cinders, rain, snow and the like and discharge these elements ex teriorly of the car. I

A further object is to provide a construction of the character set forth above which will embody a flexible sealing strip operable by asimple flexing action to obtain sealing contact.

Further objects are to provide a construction require modification of any of the elements f the doors or additional processes to be performed thereon; and in which the flexible sealing means shall be fastened in place by the securing means used to fasten other door elements together.

' Other objects of the invention will become clear as the description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings forming part of this specification: 1

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a side wall of a railway box car equipped with a sliding door embodying the instant invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2. of' Fig. 1. V 1

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the position of the door just prior to the final closing movement thereof.

Referring to the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, reference numeral I0 indicates the portion of a side wall of a railway box car adjacent to the rear edge of a door opening II formed in the wall. The portion of the side wall referred to above embodies a substantially channel-shaped do'or post I2 which defines the rear edge of the door opening II. Nailing blocks I3 and I4 are secured to the door post in any desired manner. Wooden lining I5 is nailed to the member I3. Metallic sheathing I G is riveted upon the outer face of the door post I2 as by means of rivets I! which additionally secure an angle member I8 to the outer face of the door post. Angle member 18 embodies an outwardly extending leg I9 to which a spark strip 20 having an outwardly and rearwardly directed flange 2| is fastened.

The instant invention is embodied in the rear portion of a sliding door-22 adapted to close the 4 Claims. (01. 20-21) i5 of the character described immediately above; which will effectively protect the flexible sealing strip from damage during shipment-and during closing movement of the doors; which will not door opening II. The rear portion of the door comprises a metallic panel 23 offset outwardly and rearwardly as indicated at 24 and terminating in a rearwardly extending flange 25. A sub stantially W-shaped vertical reinforcing member 26 is embodied in the door and has a forwardly extending flange 21 disposed outwardly of and securing as by means of rivets 28 to the rearwardly extending flange of the door panel. Reinforcing member 26 also comprises an inwardly extending flange 29, a rearwardly extending flange 30 and an inwardly extending flange 3I spaced from the car wall ID. A backing plate 32 extends across the space between the outwardly and rearwardly offset portion 24 of the door panel and the inwardly extending flange 29 of the W-shaped reinforcing member and is secured to the panel and to the rearwardly extending flange 30 of the reinforcing member as 20 by means of rivets 33 and 34.

5 3'! of the sealing member extends forwardly and outwardly.

A relatively flexible sealing strip 38, which is substantially Z-shaped in section, has one of its flanges 39 disposed between and secured to the backing plate 32 and flange 35, this securement being obtained by means of the rivets 34. The other flange 40 of the flexible sealing strip extends forwardly and inwardly in spaced relationship to the forwardly and outwardly extending flange 31 of the sealing member. Flexible seal-. ing strip 38 may be formed of any of the wellknown ferrous alloys or of phosphor-bronze, or any flexible material which is suitable for the purpose of the invention.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings, the relationship between the flexible sealing strip and sealing member 36 and between the sealing member, flexible strip and the spark strip carried by the car wall is clearly shown at the instant of initial contact between the sealing member and spark strip. It is apparent from this showing that the flexible sealing strip is at all times protected by the sealing member and that the engagement between the sealing member and the spark strip prevents the flexible sealing strip from fouling on the spark strip and insures proper sealing engagement therewith.

As the door moves in closing direction en agement between the sealing member 36 and the spark strip is first obtained. Continued'movement of the door in closing direction causes the door to move inwardly toward the carside and dispose the forwardly and inwardly extending flange of the sealing strip in position to engage the inner face of the rearwardly and outwardly inclined flange 2| of the spark strip. When the door is fully closed the relationship of the sealing member, the sealing strip and flange of the spark ,strip are as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

It will be clear from thedrawings that the relationship between the sealing member and sealing strip provides a pocket 4| open at its forward end. Accordingly, when the door is in closed position, illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, any foreign matter, such as dust, cinders, rain, snow, and the like, which may pass between flanges 2| and 31, will enter the pocket 4| and be trapped thereby. These elements will drop to the bottom of the pocket exteriorly of the car. These foreign elements will therefore be prevented from entering the car.

'It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in the details of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes be comprehended within this inventiomwhich is to be limited only by the scopeof the claims appended hereto.

i I claim:

1. In a railway house carhaving a wall provided with a door opening, a spark strip carried by said wall and having a rearwardly and outwardly inclined flange spaced from said wall, a sliding door for closing said opening, a rigid substantially Z-shaped member having-a flange secured to and along the rear margin of said door and a forwardly and outwardly inclined flange spaced inwardly of said door, and a flexible substantially Z-shaped sealing strip having a flange disposed under said first mentioned flange of said member for securing said flexible sealing strip to said door and a forwardly and inwardly inclined flange disposed between and s'pacdff'romsaid door and said second mentioned flange of said member and cooperating with said rigid Z-shaped secured to the rear marginal portion of said door having a forwardly extending flange spaced inwardly of said door, and a flexible sealing strip member to form a forwardly opening pocket, said secured to said margin of said door, said sealing strip having a forwardly extending flange lying between and in spaced relation to said door and said flange of said member, said flanges of said member and sealing strip forming portions of a forwardly opening pocket, said flange of said member extending forwardly of said sealing strip flange, said flanges of said member and sealing strip engaging the inner face of said spark strip flange during the final closing movement of said door, said flange of said member engaging said flange of said spark strip prior to the engagement of said sealing strip flange with said spark strip flange, for the purpose set forth.

3. A sliding door for railway cars comprising a rigid substantially Z-shaped member having a flange secured to and along the rear margin of said door and a forwardly and outwardly inclined flange spaced inwardly of said door, and a flexible substantially Z-shapedj sealing strip having a flange disposed under said first mentioned flange of said member for securing said flexible sealing strip to said door and a forwardly and inwardly inclined flange disposed between and spaced from said door and said second mentioned flange of said member and cooperating with said rigid zshaped member to; form a forwardly opening pocket.

4. A sliding door for railway cars comprising a rigid substantially Z-shaped member having a flange secured to and along the rear margin of said door and a forwardly and outwardly inclined flange spaced inwardly of said door, and a flexible substantially Z-shaped sealing strip having a flange disposed under said first mentioned flange of'said member and a forwardly and inwardly inclined flange disposed between and spaced from said door and said second mentioned flange of said member and cooperating with said rigid Z-shaped member to form a forwardly opening pocket, said inclined flange of said member extending forwardly of said inclined flange of said sealing strip.' GABRIEL MADLAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

